Bushfire witness tells of 'appalling' leadership

A witness at the bushfire inquest has described the leadership of the emergency response last year as appalling.

Duffy resident Michael Connell has told the Coroners Court he presumed there would be community warnings from police last year, similar to doorknocks by officers during the bushfires of 2001.

Mr Connell has testified he heard no warnings from Emergency Services on January 18 but had not listened to the radio that day.

He said the fire front reached his house just 30 minutes after he had returned from shopping with his wife.

Mr Connell has described driving through the streets in search of his wife after hearing she had fled with a neighbour.

The couple lost everything in the firestorm.

Mr Connell told the court that while he would be the last person to criticise individual firefighters or police officers, he felt they did not have a plan to follow and thought their leadership was appalling.